Of all the food that I consume in Hilo (and I assure you, it is a lot), there is one meal that I cannot live without; I have to have it every time I'm in Hawaii. It's the Caesar salad with blackened ahi at Hilo Bay Cafe. Whenever I go there, that is the only thing I ever order (well, that and dessert of course, which tends to vary whenever I go). It's my usual.

So when I went to Hilo Bay Cafe recently, I get there ready to order my usual, as usual. But when I look down at the menu, I don't see it. WHERE IS IT? There's a Tossed Caesar with blackened salmon. No, no, no, no, no. It's the Caesar with BLACKENED AHI. Boy, was I in serious trouble. It was the first time where I had no idea what to order.

When the waitress comes to take my order, I ask her what happened to my favorite dish. "They discontinued it." Say what?! (Sad violin music starts to play in my head.) Hilo Bay Cafe was the only place in Hilo where they had blackened ahi...with Caesar salad. Disgruntled, I reluctantly (and randomly) pick something else from the menu: the crab cakes with local organic greens, wontons, chili aioli, and sesame dressing.

Okay, I have to be honest with you. That doesn't sound bad at all. It sure didn't look bad when it came, either. It actually looked pretty darn good! But best of all, it was DELICIOUS. Everything was perfect, from the sesame dressing, to the deep-fried wontons, to the crab cakes. Looks like I got a new "usual".

INSTAGRAM: CAROLINEMERINO_

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